The New and Large Launch Plane

More than 7 years ago, Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen and aerospace engineer and founder of Scaled Composites, LLC, Burt Rutan teamed up to win Ansari X Prize by sending the first privately financed, manned spacecraft into space twice in two weeks. Now they are back again to accomplish another remarkable feat. They are building the world's largest plane to launch cargo and people into space.

To simplify the launch and avoid the need for a launch pad, and reduce the amount of necessary rocket fuel, Allen and Rutan are building a twin-fuselage aircraft with a wingspan of 380 feet to carry a rocket high into the atmosphere and drop it. At this time, the first cargo launching tests are scheduled for 2016.

To learn more about, please visit:
seattle.cbslocal.com/2011/12/13/microsoft-co-founder-to-build-giant-plane-to-launch-people-cargo-into-space

You might have seen the recent articles about Earth possibly having had two moons, but have you also read that Earth might soon have two suns? Well, at least temporarily.

Betelgeuse which is one of the brightest stars in our night sky, is the reason for this change. Evidence is pointing at Betelgeuse's imminent demise and as we know when a star collapses, it could go super-nova at any time. When this happens for a brief period of time, maybe a few weeks, we would have two suns in the sky. Furthermore, for the duration, we may not have any "nights" at all.  According to Dr. Brad Carter of University of Southern Queensland, this could happen soon in 2012, or maybe later.

There are speculations around this event, some of which of course include doomsday theories. However according to Dr. Carter, the event is harmless to Earth and the resulted neutrino shower could even be beneficial to Earth.

To learn more, please visit: http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=13970/

Just in time for the Holidays, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope presents a festive holiday greeting that’s out of this world. The bipolar star-forming region, called Sharpless 2-106, looks like a soaring, celestial snow angel. The outstretched “wings” of the nebula record the contrasting imprint of heat and motion against the backdrop of a colder medium.

To see a larger image, please visit: http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/610832main_p1138ay.jpg

To learn more about the photo and the star, please visit:   http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/snow-angel.html

The What If Prize Students Competition team is busy at work with this year's entries and the winner will be announced on January 20, 2012

To learn more, please visit: http://www.whatifprize.org .

We are very excited about our newest competition for educators and would like to remind the participants of the submission deadline of January 1, 2012.

For more details about the competition, please visit:
http://www.whatifprize.org/educators_competition_2011.php
http://www.teacherswithoutborders.org/
http://blossoms.mit.edu/home

My Dream of Stars: From Daughter of Iran to Space Pioneer: a book by Anousheh Ansari and Homer Hickam.

In her memoir, Anousheh recalls her long path to success and to achieving her dream.  To learn more about the book, please visit:  http://www.anoushehansari.com/book/

To find a book signing, please check the upcoming appearances section of this newsletter.

To obtain a copy please visit:
http://www.amazon.com/My-Dream-Stars-Daughter-Pioneer/dp/0230619932/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

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